Turbulence arrester



May I9 193.1-A w. VAN E. THoMPsoN 1,80-6,`I0l TUR'BULENCE ARRESTER Filed Nqv. 30. 1927` f//V VEN 74 frog/ver l/l/a/Zr Van Thompson.)

#25 irrigate large areas.

Patented May 19, 1931 ff; uNirialgi sr Lsoaiai PATE-NT:QFFICE WALTER vAN EQTHoMPsoN, E Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, AssIGNo'R To. THOMPSON 1 MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 0E Los ANGELES, CALIEo.Enviar-ufl CoRPoRATIoN 0E f CALIFORNIA TRBULENCE ARRESTER Application filed November 30, 1927;- ,Serial No. 236,748.v

. AMy invention relatestoturbulence arresters, and more particularly to a turbulence arrester adapted to fit in a pipe of a rotary sprinkler. V Y

Numerous types of sprinklers at present on the market have rotating arms through which the water is sprayed. Such a rotary movement is extremely advantageous in sprinkling large areas, Aand this rotation is usually derive'd from the water itself by changing-the path of tlie'stream of water just before it leaves thenozzle; This change in direction Y of th'e stream of water causes a reaotional vforce on the arms which causes them to rotate.

T Howeverin'changing thepath offlow of any fluid, a certainturbulencey is set` up in the stream,1and this turbulence dissipates a portion of the kinetic energy stored in the fluid stream. v -Such a turbulence also enlarges fric' tional losses between the waterand the pipe, Yand also lowers Vthe capacity of the pipe to carry the fluid. In rotary sprinklers, it is always desirable that this turbulence be eliminated, especially in n sprinklers adapted to I have found that the stream of such a rotary sprinkler will carry from eight to ten feet more by eliminating the turbulence in the stream. n r

' It is an object of my invention to provide 30 a sprinklerin which the turbulence is' reduced to a minimum, thereby increasing the `eiliciency thereof and the'area sprinkled.

It is arl'object of my invention t-o provide a turbulence arrester which Ywill not materially i 55 impede the flow of Huid passing it.

Itis an object of my invention to provide a turbulence arrester which will not become clogged 'when in use, and vwhich fis selfcleaning". l n .A further object of my invention is to provide-a typeof turbulence arresterwhich is equally applicable for installation in small'or large fluid passages. Y Y Y It is an object of my invention to provide `a nozzle const-ructionhavinga removable turbulence arrester, which `is readily installed and retainedin place. Y Y

. It'isgalso an object of my invention to .pro-

Vvideaturbulence arrester havingan arcuated portion and a fmextending inwardly therefrom. v

A still further object of my invention is to 'provide' a turbulence arrester having a peripheral portion consisting of substantially a frustum and an inwardly extending fin.

It is another object of my invention to provide a turbulence arrester of the character mentioned in which the nn has any edge which is inclined with respect to the axis'ofthe passage throughthe turbulence arrester.

spe'ctive view ofa rotary sprinkler embodying the features o'fmy invention. .f 'y

, Fig. 2 is a sectionalgview of the nozzle of the sprinkler shown in Figl, this view being -taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. .Y H Y v' Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line B-SofFigQ. i 1 f 5 Fig; 4 is a perspectiveview illustrating the turbulence arrester of my invention. v Referring particularly to Fig. 1, .I illustrate Vone'use ofthe turbulence arrester'v of my invention. i Y y Y Here, a sprinkler standard 10 suitably supports a vertical pipe 11 in communication with a hose 12. At the Aupper end' of the vertical pipe 11 is mounted a revolving socket 15 in fluid-tight relationship therewith. Extending outward `from the'` socket 15: are

arms 16 having openings 17 therethrough, these vopenings being in communicationfwith Y ,the interior of the vertical pipe-11. At the Vouter end of each arm 16a bend 18 is formed,

arms 16 causesV a reactionalvforce on Athese arms whichk rotates them about the vertical pipe 11. This rotation is permitted by means of nthe vpivotal connection between' thefrevolving socket 15 and the'pipe 11'. By thus changingthe direction of :flow of 1 Referring to the drawings,Fig. 1 "is a perv v 18. This turbulence is very undesirable for the reasons previously pointed out. Inasmuch as it is desirable to have the nozzle 20 placedl adjacent to the bend 18v in order that the greatest rotational force may be derived,

, this turbulence is not removed before lthe vva-H ter passes through the nozzles 20;4 It is` for accomplishing this purpose that the turbulence arrester of my invention has been designed.

Each nozzle 20 is threaded into the outer end of one arm 16 ina socket" 22therein, as indicated in Fig.l 2., A convergingiluid passage 23 is formed through the body of each nozzle 20, this fluidk passage being in commu-V nication ivith the openings 17 of the arms 16. lt should be. noticed that the maximum diameter ol' the fluid passage v23 is adjacent `the outer end offthe arms 16faud that `this maximum diameter is sligh tly larger than the dla-meter of the ope`n1ngs 17..

Adapted .a Ytightly et in uic aula pas.

sage 23 is a member2v incorporating the turf bulence-'arresting features of invention.

This member-25isformed olla thin sheet of material which is bent intoa rusto coni calshape,- as indicated bestin Figfll', this sheet ,of-material defining and' enclosing a converging turbulencearresting" chanlber 2 6 extending longitudinally through thenl'ember 25. .Oneedg'e of the sheet of. material is bent inward to extend a di'stanceac'rs's the turbulence-arresting chamber 26, this edge providing a fin 30`. The distance that theffin hextends into the turbulence-arresting chamber 2`6 varies throughoutthe length ofthemember 25, as best indicated'in Figs. 2 and 4. This fin is substantially Wedgeshaped, and extends farther into theturbil'lenfceV chamber 26 at an outer end 31 of thc .member 25 than it 'does at an innerend 32 f member 25. f It is'fessenti'al that the ap'eXfend of the fin 30 bedirected 11p-stream soy that asthe stream ofvv'ater` passes outwardthrough the arms 16, the lin BOprojects more Vand more intoj the; stream' as the 56 Water passes through the turbulence-arrest ing, chamber 26.-Q

It shuldbe l'loted that fin at no Vpoint extends entirely across the turbulencearresting chamber 26. This is a verywessential feature of my invention, inasmuch as it preventsany clogging of the fluid passage. I havefou'nd that even though theivater entering the hose112 is carefully strained, van appreciableV qliantity or moss. and other particlesis usually present. I Thiswlnoss ivould quickly' Clog the turbulence amsterf my invertida if .the lin-'aiL extended all the way acr'ss the turliulence-arre'sting chamber 26. By Waking. the fin 3 0 Wedge-shaped, have found that IO Qlglng. will CCl'flaSmuch sitli'r isA Il()i LC disped ai.' fight angles to the fluid flow on which the moss could accumulate. Any moss or particles flowing through the openings 17 would be gradually pushed along an inner edge 34 of the WedgedfinBO as they progress through the turbulencearresting chamber 26 if these particles of moss should happenI to be carried' in such a positionV that they would hit the innerA edge 311i of they iin.

The frustofconicalV shape-, of Vthe member 25 'is also important inasmuchLasfthevelocity ofthe; Water isincreased as it passes thereery 'of the fliiid pass`agef2f3.-

While; l have' described-my turbulence arf rester a's'being installed iii-a` sprinkler, it shouldv be iinder'sto-od that its utility is not llimited to' this held'. Similar devices may be installed-in pipelines or theriilud passages ivhere it isjde'sired to eliininateturbulence. Fnrthe'rlnore, I am not limited tothe exact shape 'drehe sa 301 Shows in! theerawlsga rlfhi's,` may he' as" long" asl desired',f.andy While 'it preferable to Vmalte: this' f infof very thin material, it is possible tfoj increase this "thickness Without departing from the spirit 4 The design-of the t'urlolilenc'el arrester as an artifcleof` manufacture, illustrated in' Fig. 4,-k is an important part ofthe invention. It

Willbe noted thatth turbulence arrester is lnade from one piece sheet metal bent into shape. A device' of thischaracter is very economicalto manufacture and being-made llo t'llseparate` part has' the advantage of being removable,1 flor the purpose of replacement or repair. The' preferred form of turbulence arrester has a peripheral Wall which is completely or nearly completely annular in crosssection. This is not essential to the invention,y however, since: it is. only necessary that theperipheral Wall beof su'iiici'ent, extension to have proper engagement'with the Wallfof the passageto hold kthe turbulence'- arrester i'npl'ace. Y Furthermoe, iftris not absolutely essential te the inve tion that the peripheral vvall" be `frus'telco'ni'cal. This' is: desi le, however, sincewit makes possihle to easily cl'anipltheltlir lleilceairesterin place.

passage provided with a frusto-conical portion in which the turbulence arrester is placed. The arm 16, which we designate as a secondary member, is adapted to be secured to the primary member or nozzle 20 so that the passage thereof` is in communication with the passage of the nozzle. The secondary member or arm 16 has a shoulder which engages the adjacent 'end of the turbulence arrester and thus clamps it in the frusto-conical portion of the passage formed in the nozzle 20.

I claim as my invention: e

1. A turbulence arrester adapted to be placed in a fluid passage to arrest turbulence, comprising a sheet formed to provide a frusto-conical wall and an inwardly extended iin, said iin extending in the direction of the axis of said wall.

2. A turbulence arrester adapted to be placed in a fluid passage to arrest turbulence, comprising a sheet formed to provide a frusto-conical wall and a radially inwardly extended iin, said n extending in the direction of the axis of said wall.

3. A turbulence arrester adapted to be placed in a fluid passage to arrest turbulence, comprising: a thin sheet formed to provide a wall which is frusto-conical; and an integral fin extending inward from said wall, said iin being wedge-shape, the thin-end being1 near the base-end of said frusto-conical wa l.

4. A turbulence arrester adapted to be 35- placed in a fluid passage, said turbulence arrester being formed from a sheet of metal and comprising: a circumferential wall adapted to contact the wall of said fluid passage; and

an integral. fin bent inward from said cir' cumferentialwall, said iin being somewhat to wedge-shaped and extending in the direction of the axis of said circumferential wall.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 23rd day of November, 1927.

Y WALTER VAN E. THOMPSON. 

